Texans expect Will Fuller back for season opener against...

1of53PHOTOS: NFL's best available free agents Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller (15) makes a catch during a drill at training camp at the Methodist Training Center on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, in Houston. >>>See which players remain available during the 2019 offseason ... Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff photographer

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5of53Justin Houston, LB, ChiefsThe Chiefs released Houston instead of pay him the four-time Pro Bowler the $15.25 million he was due for the 2019 season. At 30 years old, Houston may be slowing down but he's been one of the NFL's best edge rushers for several seasons.Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

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"Everything's going well with Will," Texans general manager Brian Gaine said Thursday. "I won't speak to specifics, but I anticipate when we kick off versus New Orleans, he'll be ready to go. He'll be at full speed by then. I'm sure through the preseason, we'll be smart and efficient with him as it relates to getting him right. Everything has gone well.

"There's been no setbacks, been very positive. Everything's trending in the right direction. He's been here the whole offseason. He's looking good – mind, spirit, body – everything's going well for Will and we're excited about seeing him get back on the field."

In the 11 games he's played with quarterback Deshaun Watson, Fuller has caught 11 touchdown passes.

The major caveat attached to the former Notre Dame star is his tendency to get hurt. The former first-round draft pick from Notre Dame finished last season with 32 receptions for 503 yards and four touchdowns.

Much of the Texans' hopes for a dynamic offense are built around the hope that they could get a healthy season out of Fuller and Keke Coutee working in tandem with All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

“I know he’s doing well," Texans coach Bill O'Brien said at the NFL scouting combine. "He’s been in Houston the whole offseason. He’s working hard. Can’t say enough about Will. Will’s frustrated that he hasn’t been able to be on the field.

"I think when he has been on the field, he has made a huge difference for our team. He’s a touchdown-maker. He’s working hard to get back to that point. He’s been in there every day."

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Aaron Wilson is a Texans beat writer for the Houston Chronicle, joining the paper in August 2015. He was a Baltimore Ravens beat writer from 2001 to 2015, working for The Baltimore Sun, including coverage of Super Bowl XLVII, the Ray Rice domestic violence case and the careers of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Jonathan Ogden, and previously covered the team for the Carroll County Times and the Annapolis Capital.

This marks the second time the Washington, D.C. native has covered the AFC South, previously covering the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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